Manifolding device for typewriters



Aug. 22, 1933.

J. S. FLEMING MANIFOLDING DEVICE FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed June 28. 1928 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 22, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE assignor, by mesne assignments, to Niagara Fold, Inc., Niagara Falls, N. Y., a Corporation of New York Application June 28, 1928. Serial No. 289,030

1'7 Claims.

This invention relates to manifolding devices and more specifically to an improved, self-contained assemblage of carbon sheets, or leaves, and improved devices for coacting with the assemblage of carbon sheets when employed in a typewriting machine.

The general object of the invention is the provision of practical improvements in the carbon assemblage and the cooperative machine parts disclosed in applicant's prior application, Serial No. 265,570, filed March 29, 1928.

One of the main objects of the invention is the provision of a practicalcarbon placer whereby shift of carbons from one to another of successive printed forms may be effected while retaining interleaved relation to the record strips.

Another object of the invention is the provision of practical carbon assemblage, or carbon pack, the shift movement of which is adapted to be positively controlled without the use of any relatively stiff carrier parts, such as a flexible cardboard backing for the carbon assemblage.

Another and important object of the invention is the provision of a practical and eiflcient device for controlling the operative alignment of the carbon assemblage.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation, partly in section, of a shiftable platen carriage of a typewriting machine with the carbon assemblage associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view illustrating the rotatable platen of the typewriter in conjunction with the carbon assemblage and the checking device the section being taken transversely of the platen axis;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating details of the improved checking device; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the manifolding carbon assemblage, certain of the sheets thereof being broken away for clearer disclosure.

In the figures, the numeral 1 indicates the cylindrical platen of the typewriting machine which is mounted in the platen carriage, the numerals 2 and 3 indicating the side frames of such carriage, the journals 4 and 5 of the platen being rotatably mounted in the sides 2 and 3. For rotating the platen by hand the usual knobs 6 afiixed to the journals 4 and 5 are provided. It is to be understood, however, that the usual appurtenances of a typewriting machine for letter spacing of the platen carriage and for line spacing rotation of the platen are to be employed.

This invention utilizes a carbon placer which may consist of several sheets of transfer paper, as carbon paper, suitable for manifolding inscription when interleaved with record paper. In the drawing, the placer includes five carbon sheets, '7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, forming an assemblage or pack of carbon sheets. Each of these sheets is of soft, flexible, thin manifolding paper with the usual carbon coating on one face of each sheet.

The sheets 7, 8, 9 and 10 each have lateral ears 12 at opposite sides, and lines of stitching 13, as thread or very light wire, are employed to secure the ears together so as to retain a. number of the carbon sheets in superposed relation to each other. The carbon sheet 11 is a folded extension of the sheet 10, the fold line being indicated at 14, and the extension, or carbon sheet 11, being unprovided with ears and being of the same width as the main width of the other carbon sheets. Between the opposite stitching lines 13, the carbon sheets are free of attachment to each other, so that the paper record strips on which the inscription is to be made may freely pass between the carbon sheets 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Referring to Fig. 2, the numerals 15 indicate a plurality of superposed paper record strips advancing from the rear to the platen from a suitable source of supply, and proceeding partially around the platen, beneath the usual releasable feed rolls 16 and 17, the record strips 15 being interleaved with the carbon sheets,8, 9, 10 and 11 in such manner that printing impression made by the type on the outermost record strip 15 will be duplicated on the other and underlying record strips 15, all of the intermediate record strips passing between the lines of attachment 13 of the carbon sheets, there being sufficient space between said lines of attachment and the adjacent edges of the record strips to permit free shift movement of the record strips past the carbon sheets, and the carbon assemblage itself being freely shiftable either forward or back relative to the record strips while interleaved therewith. In this wise, it will be seen that not only are the record Strips longitudinally shiftable relative to the carbon assemblage, but that the carbon assemblage may be shifted back and forth relative to the record strips andv from the receiving to the delivery side of the platen while in interleaved relation with the strips.

Mounted on the machine at the delivery side of the platen is a device for checking the advance shift movement of the carbon placer. In the embodiment illustrated, this checking device includes a bar 18, which may be, and in the embodiment illustrated is, a thin resilient metal bar having one or more thin tongues 19 which extend rearwardly, i. e.. opposite to the advance movement of the record strips, and are adapted to penetrate apertures in the carbon placer. For supporting the bar 18, its opposite ends are attached as by rivets 20 to a stiff bar 21, washers 22 being interposed between these two bars so as to space them apart sufficiently to permit passage of one of the sheets of the carbon placer or pack therebetween. Upwardly extending from the bar 21 are the integral ears 23 which are adapted to enter slots 24 in the brackets 25 mounted on the platen carriage. For securing the brackets to the platen carriage they are provided with flanges 26 having openings 27 for the passage of headed screws into the side pieces 2 of the platen carriage. Each bracket 25 has a shoulder portion 28 into which the ears 23 are pressed by the springs 29 mounted on the brackets. By this construction, the ears 23 may be downwardly moved in the slots 24 until seated upon the flanges 26, the springs 29 serving removably to retain the ears 23 beneath the shoulders 28 of the brackets. The ears 23 and the bar 21 carried thereby may readily be removed from the brackets as will be understood.

In the rear, or trailing, edge of the placer are one or more placer checking apertures 30, two similar apertures being illustrated. Also as illustrated, these apertures 30 intercept the fold line 14 of the folded sheet which is composed of the sheet 10 and its intergral extension 11. The apertures 30 may be relatively narrow slits along the fold line 14 and of a character to permit the tongues 19 of the bar 18 to penetrate such apertures, as seen in Fig. 1.

In operation, the brackets 25 will be aflixed to the side frames 2 of the platen carriage, and the cars 23 will be inserted in the slots 24 of the brackets so as to be held beneath the shoulders 28 by the springs 29. In this wise, the bars 18 and 21 will be stationarily positioned on the delivery side of the platen and will extend downwardly into the platen carriage toward the printing point.'

Preliminary to positioning the record strips 15 in writing position on the machine, the carbon placor may be interleaved therewith, as by passing the record strips between the several carbon sheets '7, 8, 9 and 10. Having done this the assembled placer and record strips may be inserted beneath the platen from the rear and drawn forwardly by hand rotation of the platen, the free ends of the carbon sheets being in advance. Thereupon the free end of the sheet 11 of the carbon pack will be inserted between the bars 18 and 21, whereupon further rotation of the platen 1 will forwardly shift the assemblage of carbon sheets and record strips until arrested or checked by the bar 18. It will be noticed that the checking bar is positioned directly in the path of the carbon-placer and of the sheets thereof, and that the fold 14 of the checking extension or sheet is rearwardly directed with its sides forwardly extended so as to receive the checking bar when the I carbon-placer is forwardly moved. At this time it will be seen that the tongues 19 may penetrate the apertures 30 in the folded carbon sheet, so as not only to check further advance of the carbon assemblage, but positively to prevent such unfolding movement between the sheets 10 and 11 as would permit any substantial further advance of the carbon assemblage. Were it not for the tongues 19 penetrating the apertures 30, it might be possible for the carbon assemblage to further advance under unsually strong pull, because of the 8! sheet 11 unwinding, as it were, around the edge of the checking bar 18. By the provision of the placer-penetrative checking members 19 and the checking apertures 30, such unwinding of the carbon sheet 11 is positively prevented, and the operator is assured that the carbon assemblage will not be advanced beyond an amount as determined by the position of the checking members.

The record strips 15 each will have a series of printed forms 31, bill heads for instance, with weakened lines 32 between successive forms, the forms of superposed sheets being in registry, and the carbons interleaved with one set of superposed forms to transfer inscription when typing is effected. As line spacing progresses, the record strip and carbon will be given advance shift together as the platen is rotated. Having completed typing one set of forms, rotation of the platen by the knobs 6 will advance both the record strips and the carbons until the latter are checked by the bar 18 engaging the fold 14. Thereupon, the record strips may be grasped by the typist and ad vanced, while the carbons are checked, thus shifting the next set of printed forms into interleaved manifolding relation to the carbons. By then reversely rotating the platen, the new set of carbon interleaved printed forms may be shifted to writ ing position. The length between successive weakened lines 32 is preferably such that when the new printed forms are in initial writing position, the weakened lines between these forms and the inscribed forms in advance will register with the cutting edge 3'? of the cutter bar 21, so that the advance forms may readily be parted by a tearing operation along said bar, the action be- '120 ing similar in many respects to that in the aforesaid application, Serial No. 265,570. The length of carbon sheets should preferably be such that when in initial writing position, their advance edges will lie to the rear of the weakened lines immediately adjacent such edges, so that in parting the record strips the carbons will not be torn. Should the typist reversely rotate the platen an amount sufficient to shift the advance edges of the carbon sheets below the lower or aligning edge 36 of the checking bar 18, the tongues 19 assist'in keeping the sheet 11 in such position as to enter between bar 18 and 21 upon subsequent advance rotation of the platen, thus reducing chance of sheet 11, being completely drawn from between said bars. The checking members also assist in aligning the placer relative to the record strips. Should the placer become askew, the part of foldline 14 inadvance will first be checked, with the result that further advance shift will bring the rest of the fold line 14 into alignment. The tongues 19 by positively interengaging with the apertures 30 assist in laterally aligning the placer.

Although in the embodiment illustrated tongues 19 of substantial length are employed to prevent the unwinding of the carbon sheet, it is to be understood that shorter tongues or short projections on the bar 18 are within the broader purview of the invention. For the highest efilciency the devices checking carbon-placer movement should be of a relatively smooth character so as not to injure the paper with which they come in contact. It is also to be understood that the invention contemplates the use of the tongues 19 with a carbon assemblage without the apertures 30, inasmuch as, when the tongues 19 are fairly long and relatively narrow, they tend to prevent easy unwinding of the carbon sheet around them, and in this manner serve as a very substantial check to such movement.

In the embodiment illustrated, the extended sheet 11 has been referred to as a carbon sheet. By so making it, the operator may place back of 'it a single paper record sheet, as, for instance, an ordinary letterhead, and thus obtain an extra and separate carbon copy. It is to be understood, however, that the sheet 11 need not be a carbon sheet but may be a plain sheet of paper of soft flexible character like that of the carbon sheets. The sheet 11, as above mentioned, forms an extension of the carbon sheet 10, this extension being provided with the placer-checking apertures 30. Nor need the sheet 11 be of the same length as the carbon sheets; it may be shorter and still serve its cooperative checking purpose.

Thus by the above described construction are accomplished, among others, the objects herein? before referred to.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a typewriting machine, in combination. a carbon-placer shiftable with record strips used in the machine, and a placer-aligner having one or more rearwardly extending tongues, said placer including at least one flexible carbon leaf in manifolding relation with the record strips and having a pliable sheet with one or more recesses for said tongues to enter so as to align said carbon-placer.

2. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a carbon-placer shiftable with record strips used in the machine, including a folded, paper sheet having one or more placer-checking apertures intercepting its fold line, and a placer-check- ,ing member disposed for positioning within the fold of said sheet and having one or more tongues adapted to enter said apertures for checking said carbon-placer.

3. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a carbon-placer shiftable with record strips used in the machine, and including a folded, paper sheet having one or more placer-checking apertures intercepting its fold line, and a combined placerchecking and placer-aligning bar adapted to be received between the folds of said sheet and having one or more tongues adapted to enter said apertures.

4. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a placer-checking member composed of a bar having one or more rearwardly extending, placerchecking tongues, a rigid cutter bar spaced from said tongues and to which said first mentioned bar is attached, a pair of brackets having shouldered slots mounted on the machine, said cutter bar having upwardly extending ears engaging said slots beneath said shoulders, and springs for removably retaining said ears beneath said shoulders.

5. A carbon-placer for use in typewriting machines for placing carbon sheets with reference to record strips used by the machine and shiftable with said strips, said carbon-placer including a paper sheet with a rearwardly directed fold and having one or more placer-checking apertures intercepting its fold line.

6. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen, a carbon placer including a carbon sheet extension having an aperture and being shiftable with the record strips used in the machine, and a placer checking member positioned at the delivery side of said platen in longitudinal alignment with said extension aperture and automatically engageabletherein to check said carbon placer.

7. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a carbon placer including a plurality of carbon sheets one of which has a placer-#checking aper-' ture, and b ing shiftable with record strips used by the mac inc, and a placer-positioning member normally longitudinally spaced forwardly of said placer-checking aperture and engageable with said aperture upon forward shifting movement of said placer so as to check the latter during forward movement of the record strips.

8. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a carbon placer including a plurality of attached carbon sheets one of which has a rearward extension with a placer-checking aperture, and being shiftable with record strips used by the machine, and a placer-positioning member disposed in longitudinal alignment with said aperture and relatively movable into.and out of said, aperture by shifting said placer in' opposite directions.

9. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen, a carbon placer having a placer-checking aperture, and being shiftable with record strips used by the machine, and an elongated transversely extending placer positioning blade positioned at the delivery side of said platen, said positioning blade having projecting from its rearward edge a checking tongue'positioned for engagement within said aperture by shift of said placer.

10. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a carbon placer shiftable with record strips used in the machine, said placer including at least one flexible carbon leaf in manifolding relation with the record strips and including an extension of upon forward shifting movement of said placer so as to check the latter during forward movement of the record strips.

11. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a carbon placer including a sheet member and being shiftable with record strips used in the machine, a placer-penetrative checking member at the delivery side of the platen, said placer having a placer checking aperture in its rear and extending transversely through said sheet member, said checking member being positioned to be projected transversely of the surface of said sheet member through said aperture, so as to check and position said carbon placer.

12. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a carbon placer shiftable with record strips used in the machine and including sheets having free ends, one of the sheets of said placer having a checking aperture positioned rearwardly of the placer and a flat transversely extending placer checking and aligning bar having thereon a, checking tongue extending rearwardly of its rearward of aligning edge and positioned for engagement in placing relation within said checking aperture.

13. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a placer checking member including a thin elongated checking bar extending transversely of the record strips used in the machine, a rigid elongated supporting bar extending alongside of said checking bar but spaced slightly from the latter, said checking bar being attached to and supported by said supporting bar, a pair of brackets having shouldered slots mounted on the machine, said supporting bar having upwardly extending supporting ears engaging said slots beneath the shoulders thereof, and springs for removably retaining said ears beneath the shoulders.

14. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a carbon placer shiftable with the record strips used in said machine and including a plurality of superposed'transfer sheets and an aperture in one of said sheets, and means, including a placer positioning member, cooperable to enter said aperture and simultaneously check advance shift movement of said sheets.

15. In a machine of the chararter described, in combination, a carbon placer having a checking aperture and shiftable in forward and rearward directions with the record strips used in the machine, and a placer checking member having means cooperable to enter and engage said aperture upon forward shifting of said placer to a predetermined position and to withdraw from said aperture upon rearward shifting of said placer from that position.

16. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a carbon placer formed with an aperture and shiftable with record sheets used in said machine, and a placer checking member having means cooperable to enter said aperture and check said carbon placer when it is shifted in one direction.

17. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a platen, a carbon placer including a transfer sheet and an aperture formed in said placer, and being shiftable around said platen with record strips used. in said machine, and a placer checking member having means cooperable to enter and engage said aperture and check said placer when it is shifted around said platen to a predetermined position.

, JOHN STUART FLEMING. 

